College notebook: ACU athletes shine in track and field

Hardin-Simmons picked the right time to play its best ball of the season.

By winning four of their last five, the Cowboys (15-25, 12-12) not only made it into the American Southwest Conference Tournament but passed East Texas Baptist to gain the No. 7 seed. HSU opens the tournament at 7 p.m. Friday against Red Bracket host Sul Ross State. The Lobos won two of three against the Cowboys in the regular season, but HSU won the finale 15-3.

The Cowboys are led offensively by Elijah Perez with a .333 batting average and whose three hits and two RBIs in the regular-season finale helped give HSU a 2-1 series win over McMurry.

Hawks crushing it

Howard College has been on a scoring tear of late, piling up 103 runs during a current five-game win streak.

The Hawks hit .565 during the stretch with Bryan Sturges leading the way going 11 for 14 with four home runs, 14 runs scored and 16 RBIs. Doug Facendo went 11 for 17 with three home runs, 13 runs and 15 RBIs.

HC (33-17, 24-8) lifted its team average to .378 and is averaging 10.6 runs per game for the season.

BASKETBALL

Lanier dies

Former Hardin-Simmons basketball player Mike Lanier passed away in Michigan last week at the age of 48.

The 7-foot-7 Lanier and his brother Jim were recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest twins.

Mike Lanier played for the Cowboys from 1988-90 before transferring to UCLA when HSU dropped from Division I status.

FOOTBALL

Washington 60th

Former Oklahoma State record-setting wide receiver James Washington was the 60th selection in the NFL Draft, taken in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Interestingly, OSU quarterback Mason Rudolph was drafted in the following round by the Steelers.

Washington, a Stamford native, was one of the most productive receivers in Cowboys’ history with a school-record 4,472 yards that included three straight seasons with more than 1,000 yards receiving. He capped his career by winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver while being selected a first-team All-American.

McCrane flies with Cardinals

After going undrafted, former Kansas State kicker Matt McCrane had his choice of NFL teams. He chose to sign as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals.

The most accurate kicker in Wildcat history, McCrane practiced with the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots in addition to the Colts. The Brownwood native, 23, decided to join a team with another Texas connection. Former Longhorn kicker Phil Dawson handled the kicking last season for Arizona.

Dawson is 43 and McCrane saw an opportunity to either learn from his fellow Texan or to be available as a replacement if Dawson slips. McCrane, who didn’t kick until his junior year at Brownwood, converted 86.4 percent of his field goals at KSU and was 133 of 134 in extra points.

GOLF

Grant gains ground

Taylor Grant made up for a slow start by firing two straight rounds in the 60s as he finished tied for 21st at Sea Island Seaside Course in St. Simons Island, Georgia, at the Southeastern Conference Championship.

The former Wylie standout started play with a first-round 75 before he found his game and finished 69-68 for 2-over-par 212. He eagled the par-5 15th hole and added three birdies in a final round he said was a “fun day for me. I was able to hit a lot of good shots and putts fell for me.” Grant was one of seven players to shoot two rounds in the 60s.

“I am really proud for how he responded after his opening round,” Bulldogs’ coach Dusty Smith told the university’s athletics website. “It shows a lot about who he is and what kind of character he has.”

Vella, Errico top-10

Nick Vella finished tied for seventh at 5-over-par 221 and Aaron Errico was four strokes behind in 10th to pace Hardin-Simmons to a fourth-place finish in the ASC Championship at Avery Ranch.

Howard Payne finished seventh in the eight-team tournament won by UT-Tyler.

Also, Cowboy Luke Smith was named ASC second-team and McMurry’s Brendon Lowrance and HSU’s Matt Jouett were named honorable mention.

SOFTBALL

Hagood heralded

Oklahoma Christian junior Madison Hagood was named Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Week.

The left-hander from Comanche had a hand in all three wins over Rogers State. She pitched one inning of scoreless relief in the opener, threw a complete-game three-hitter in the second game, and allowed one hit in 1⅔ innings of the finale to earn the win. Hagood struck out nine in 9.2 innings.

Anderson aces honor

East Texas Baptist senior Jordan Anderson was named ASC Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season.

Anderson pitched two complete-game wins to help the Tigers seize the No. 2 seed in the upcoming playoffs. She struck out 13 in 14 innings.

Hawks fly high again

Howard College finished the regular season with eight straight wins and won its fourth straight Western Junior College Athletic Conference title.

The Hawks (38-7-1, 25-3) take a .426 team batting average into the post-season. Madoline Seumalo and Paige Hallam are HC’s best hitters with .491 and .486 averages, respectively. Seaumalo leads with 78 runs and Hallam tops with 19 steals without being caught.

TENNIS

Six seconds

Six Abilene Christian players – four men and two women – were voted to the Southland Conference second team.

Brothers Josh and Jonathan Sheehy, along with Niko Monaceau and Henry Adams, were the men selected. Lucile Pothier and Nini Memishishi were the women chosen.

Second trip

The McMurry women will make their second appearance in the National Christian College Athletic Association Tournament and first since 2015.

The War Hawks are the No. 7 seeded in the eight-team tournament that will be Monday-Thursday in Mobile, Alabama. McMurry finished second in the ASC West but was ineligible for the conference tournament as it is in its final year of reclassifying back to Division III.

Kayla Melgar threw the hammer 183 feet, 11 inches for her lone personal-best but was a triple winner in the field adding the shot put and discus titles as well. Kai Schmidt was a double winner in the shot put and with a personal-best of 190-5 in the discus that was a Southland Conference best as well.

Jared Williams was named Track Athlete of the Week after clocking personal-bests in the 200 and 400. Kai Schmidt earned the field award after winning the shot put and discus. Kayla Melgar won the women’s field event after winning the shot put and hammer and finishing second in the discus.

Adams produces

Southwestern University senior Tyler Adams accounted for more than half of the Pirates’ 43 points at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships.

The weight man from Eastland produced bronze medals in every event he entered – shot put, discus, javelin and hammer – to account for 24 points.

Former Abilene High athlete Stephen Ford of Trinity was even busier competing in five events. He scored nine points with a second-place finish in the pole vault and sixth in the javelin as the Tigers placed second.